The present invention relates to an apparatus of simple construction for analyzing particle images for passing a sample liquid containing blood corpuscles, cells, microorganism or other particles in a sheath flow, detecting the target particles, and taking still images thereof efficiently.
The following methods have been hitherto known as the method for analyzing particles in the field of blood analysis or the field of microorganism measurements.
(1) As the method of measuring leukocytes in the field of blood analysis, the method of measuring the fluorescence emitted from dyed cells by a flow cytometer.
(2) In the field of blood analysis, the method of placing a specimen smeared on a slide glass beneath a microscope, moving the stage automatically in the X-, Y-directions, and taking fluorescent images and white light images by a video camera or the like, to thereby achieve a measurement.
(3) In the field of microorganism measurement, the measurement is done by culture inspection requiring various culture media, which took many days until the end of the test. In such a background, various methods have been developed, including the ATP measurement method (see Millon, O., Milsson, L. et al., J. Clin. Microbiol., 18, 521, 1983), impedance method (see Brown, D., Warner, M., Taylor, C. et al., J. Clin. Pathol., 37, 65-69, 1984), enzyme and fluorescence detecting method (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Sho. 58-116700), and DEFT method combining membrane filter method and fluorescence microscopic method (see G. L. Pattipher, et al., J. Appl. Bacteriol. 53, 323, 1982).
More recently, a "microorganism of a quick measuring apparatus of" is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Hei. 3-29837, in which the membrane filter and fluorescence microscope are combined, the sample captured by the filter is dyed with fluorescence, the sample is put on the microscope the sample stage of which automatically moves in the X-, Y-directions, and the cells emitting fluorescence are measured.
However, in method (1), the measured cells can not be recognized visually.
In method (2), the number of cells that can be measured at a time is limited, and the pretreatment of dyeing and smearing is complicated.
Method (3), takes a long time, its precision is not sufficient, and the pretreatment is complicated.